The majority of its applications, 90%, are as steel additives, but it is also important in the optical, electrical, and electronics fields.In steel additives, it is added as ferroniobium.High tensile strength steels for automobiles and oil pipelines, stainless steels with enhanced corrosion resistance to seawater, and heat-resistant superalloys for turbines in power plants and fighter engines, etc. Niobium in steel stabilizes carbon and prevents intergranular corrosion.This is believed to preserve the microstructure of the steel and enhance its corrosion, heat, and impact resistance.In cemented carbide tools, cemented carbide for cutting tools as niobium carbide.It is also used in high refractive index lenses as niobium pentoxide, an additive for optical glass (also being considered as a lead-free alternative, but 20 times the price).Niobium capacitor → dielectric of niobium capacitor (electrolytic capacitor and ceramic capacitor) made of oxide such as sintered metal powder.Miniature capacitors made of tantalum have become indispensable for small electronic products such as cell phones.Increasingly, niobium, which has large reserves (100 times as large as tantalum) and is in stable supply, is being used as a substitute for tantalum.Production is dominated by Brazil, which is CBMM's sole producer.In Japan, Sojitz, a trading companyas an agent, imports from that CBMM .